Melt
by LostPaladin97
Summary: <html><head></head>Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: Joe and Ahim went out to buy groceries. But then it rained heavily, and there was only one umbrella between them...</html>
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Another Gokaiger fic! From the summary, you could probably tell it's a Joe/Ahim fic. I know it's still pretty early to go into pairings, but I just had to write this idea down! This story is inspired by this song of the same title, _Melt_, by Hatsune Miku. The story is post-episode 4, and it begins with Ahim already realising she likes Joe…

"_Do I really like him? How long must I wait until I can tell him how I feel?" _Ahim sipped her tea as she gazed at the guy doing steady push-ups at one corner.

Her deep thoughts were interrupted as Marvelous, who was sitting on his chair, cried out, "Joe! Ahim! It's your grocery duty today!"

"Groceries! Groceries!" Navi repeated for the fun of it.

Immediately, Joe stopped his push-ups and Ahim put down her cup of tea. Before leaving the Galleon, Ahim grabbed a random collapsible umbrella and put it into her coat, then both of them rappelled down.

They did their groceries quite fast, and like before, Joe offered to carry both bags as usual, despite's Ahim's protests. As they exited the supermarket, an unexpected sight greeted them – it was raining cats and dogs.

"Ah, that was pretty unexpected," Ahim commented in her usual tone of voice.

Joe stared at the pouring rain for a moment. "I didn't bring an umbrella out." He then turned to Ahim. "Did you?"

Ahim nodded slightly and reached into her coat. "It's a small umbrella though."

Joe remained silent for a moment, supposedly pondering. He let out a small sigh and said, "Guess I have to share an umbrella with you."

When Ahim heard that, her heart skipped a beat. _Share an umbrella…with Joe? That means…_

"I shall hold the umbrella, but I may have to trouble you by letting you carry one of the bags. Here, you can carry the lighter one," Joe said as he reached for the umbrella in Ahim's delicate hands.

"Um…no…it's alright, I was supposed to carry my share in the first place…" she laughed awkwardly as she took one of the brown bags.

Joe opened the umbrella. "Come on, let's go."

As Ahim stepped into the rain, underneath the umbrella, her heart inexplicably started beating at high speed. She couldn't believe that she was standing at such close proximity to Joe. She never did, since she always thought Joe had this thing about personal space. Nevertheless, it was –

"Stand closer, Ahim. At this rate, both you and the groceries would get wet." As he said that, Joe did something Ahim never expected him to do – he swept her off her feet. Accurately speaking, he suddenly yanked her towards him, and her head touched his chest as the gap between him and her closed.

Now, Ahim's heart turned from racing at an immeasurable speed to almost completely stopping. She was so close to him, she could hear his heart beating steadily; she could even feel his breath…

It was then when she realised she was holding her breath the whole time.

_Oh gosh, Ahim, why do you have to become like this just because you are sharing an umbrella with Joe? _Ahim berated herself silently.

"You are walking unusually slow today," Joe spoke up.

"Ah…I…" Ahim was temporarily lost for words. "I…don't want to get the groceries wet, that's why!" She paused for a while. "Do you…want me to walk faster?"

"Oh, no, it's okay; I rather walk slower than get the groceries wet."

They were spending an unusually long time making their way back to the Gokai Galleon, but Ahim wished it could last longer – or in fact, that time could stop at that moment.

Then, unconsciously, she felt herself do something unexpected of her. Slowly, her free hand – the one not holding anything – gravitated towards Joe's hand which held up the umbrella for both of them. She held it firmly, and looked up to Joe in case he showed any sign of discomfort with her invading his so-called "personal space".

Joe did not show any form of displeased reactions. He looked straight as they walked on, raindrops hitting his well-defined features, and dripping down his long hair.

_Right now, underneath a small umbrella with Joe on a rainy day – she could just __**melt**__!_

_Maybe…right now…she could try bringing across her feelings to him…_

"Joe-san, I…" Ahim muttered to herself quietly.

Joe seemed to turn his head slightly towards her.

"I…I…" somehow, Ahim suddenly got stuck in her words. She just could not bring herself to mention the word "like"…

"We have reached the bottom of the Galleon," Joe suddenly stopped in his tracks. Immediately, 2 ropes fell down from the majestic Gokai Galleon. They both grabbed the ropes and flew up.

"_I…like you…"_ Ahim thought to herself.

**Author's Note (2): **Hope you liked it! I'm not planning on writing another chapter were they "confess" their feelings or something, but if you want to, I may write it in Joe's POV. Just drop me a message or include it in your review


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Joe's POV! Sorry to keep you waiting…if you were.

Joe was doing his usual daily push-ups when Marvelous called out, "Joe! Ahim! It's your grocery duty today!"

Almost immediately, Joe got up from the floor, and Ahim put down her teacup as Navi cried, "Groceries! Groceries!" Both of them rappelled down the Galleon, and headed to the nearby supermarket.

Soon, they were done with the shopping, and being the gentleman, Joe insisted on carrying both bags, despite Ahim's protests. As they stepped out of the supermarket, an unexpected sight greeted them – it was raining cats and dogs.

"Ah, that was pretty unexpected," Ahim commented in her usual tone of voice.

"_Oh no, I did not bring an umbrella! How are we supposed to get back?" _Joe thought to himself as he stared out at the pouring rain.

"I didn't bring an umbrella out." He then turned to Ahim. "Did you?"

Ahim nodded slightly and reached into her coat. "It's a small umbrella though."

"_If that is the case, does that mean…Ahim and I have to share an umbrella?" _Joe pondered. _"And also…why is my heart beating faster at the thought of this?"_

Joe let out a small sigh. "Guess I have to share an umbrella with you."

"I shall hold the umbrella, but I may have to trouble you by letting you carry one of the bags. Here, you can carry the lighter one," Joe reached for Ahim's umbrella and passed her one of the brown bags.

Joe opened the umbrella. "Come on, let's go."

As Ahim stepped under the umbrella with him, Joe felt his heart beat even faster, and a strange sense of nervousness. Honestly speaking, he had never shared an umbrella with a girl before, including Luka. That was because Luka always made sure she brought two umbrellas whenever she goes out to buy the groceries, no matter who she was going with. (She never liked invasion of personal space.

Joe turned his head slightly, and saw that Ahim was only half-covered by the umbrella. Not wanting her to get wet, he freed one hand and yanked her closer to him. Or rather, the umbrella.

"Stand closer, Ahim. At this rate, both you and the groceries would get wet."

As he pulled Ahim closer, Joe could feel her head bump into his chest, and feathery raindrops splashing on his blue jacket as her soft, curly locks swished.

Inexplicably, Joe felt his heartbeat and breathing quicken. _"Get a hold of yourself, Joe." _He told himself. _"Breathe in; breathe out. Seriously, why are you getting so excited over sharing an umbrella with a ship-mate?"_

He then realised that they were only about 200 metres away from the supermarket after all had happened. This was pretty slow, for Joe liked to do things as fast as he could so that he had optimum time for sword practice and his daily sit-ups and push-ups. Also, even Ahim doesn't walk that slowly even when being as demure as she already is.

"You are walking unusually slow today," Joe unconsciously mumbled. Immediately, he wished he could take back those words. Firstly, it was rude for a gentleman like him to comment on a lady like that. Secondly, he too was walking really slowly himself. Thirdly, deep inside, he wanted this moment to continue as long as it could…

"Ah…I…" Ahim responded, "I…don't want to get the groceries wet, that's why! Do you…want me to walk faster?"

"Oh, no, it's okay; I rather walk slower than get the groceries wet," Joe tried his best in saving his last shred of dignity, although he felt that his reply made him seem even more foolish than he was already feeling.

So they walked on. As they walked, time seemed to stop, yet it seemed so short. Around them, many people were holding transparent umbrellas and rushing on, yet it seemed that there was only the two of them huddled under a small umbrella.

Suddenly, Joe felt something touch the hand that was holding the umbrella. Ahim…was holding his hand. Normally, his first instinct would be to brush her hand away, but there was this invisible force that kept his hand right there. Besides, her hand gave her some warmth from the cold rain.

Between the both of them, there was an awkward silence between that, and Joe felt that he had to break it. Normally, he wasn't the one who would break the silence between two people, but he just felt that he had to.

"_Ahim, maybe…we could be more than just friends…" _he wanted to say. However, it was harder than he thought. The words couldn't escape his throat.

After some time, when he finally mustered the courage to, he heard Ahim mutter, "Joe-san…I…"

"_What's Ahim going to say?"_

"I…I…"

Just then, a red, majestic figure in the sky caught his eye. "We have reached the bottom of the Galleon."

Immediately, two ropes fell from the Gokai Galleon, and the two of them grabbed the ropes and flew up.

"_Is this…how it feels…to like someone?" _Joe thought to himself for a very long time.

_~The widest distance apart on Earth is not life and death, but is when you are standing next to a person, and that person doesn't know that you like him/her…~_

**Author's Note (2): **Hope you liked it! The last line is inspired by a song BTW.


End file.
